Post-Game Talk: WSH @ PIT | 2/17/15 | 7PM EST | Caps Win 3-1 (MOD WARNING: POST 657)

[Blades of Steel]

two words: Brooks Orpik

Old, washed up, sucks, and glad he's gone from Pittsburgh

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Well, they're not wrong about heading to the next dead puck era.

All the more reason for us to appreciate how good Ovie is (and Nick).

 

[Suds]

So many teams making moves. Caps are playing it close to the vest. Must be hard to juggle all the salaries,demands and availablities.Make it all match up and agreeable both ways.

Still it would be nice to have a reliable leak or tease about a trade.

 

[Blades of Steel]

So many teams making moves. Caps are playing it close to the vest. Must be hard to juggle all the salaries,demands and availablities.Make it all match up and agreeable both ways.

Still it would be nice to have a reliable leak or tease about a trade.

who's all these teams making moves? nashville and pittsburgh are the only two that matter that i know of, and david perron isn't a game breaker anyway.

Most teams don't make moves until a day or two within the dead line, or even the day of.

relax.

 

[g00n]

LOL at Kunitz turning his back to desperately prepare to dive after getting boarded.

This was a game out of the 80s, bad refs included. I take this any day Al May, over the modern refs calling everything and still wrong half the time anyways, and letting special teams decide games. When playoffs come, they change. I cannot be the only one that liked the style of this game.

Caps got 5 power plays and scored on 2 of them, including a 5 on 3 which was the difference in the game. The Pens and their fans think the game was handed to us by the refs, though they got 3 power plays.

I wouldn't say this game was underofficiated, just officiated poorly and inconsistently.

 

[kmart]

did u saw how the pens protested that stick slash for the 3on5pp... why are u yelling at the ref for that, u broke the stick ! go to box. the laich make up call for that was hilarious.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

I don't care who you are, if you're willing to waste your beer you should be kicked out of a hockey game.

Cut them some slack, it was probably Iron City.

Must admit that I do find the Pens fans entertaining. Especially enjoyed the reaction of some of them located behind the goal after Ovechkin scored. Goal went in and out so quickly some reacted as if it went off the crossbar and stood up to taunt Ovie, that was just priceless.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

"WWF referee's from 1989, out of work, calling the game tonight..." - Alan May

Alan May was on a roll last night after the game. First he came out with the comparisons of the Oates era vs. Trotz era when playing the Penguins. Oates teams were 0-7 and some hellacious disparity in GF/GA whereas Trotz 3-0 and 10-1 goal differential.

Then when they were showing the clip of the Latta fight and Latta and the Pen going to the ice at the end, he noted that this is where the game has changed as he/May would still tried to land some while his opponent was on the ice. Love May!

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Shorty #2?

That was my question as well on the Carlson goal. Does that count as a SHG even though it was an ENG? If so it would be only the teams second of the year.

 

[RandyHolt]

refs -

I wonder if the refs are told to call the game a certain way - or - to be more lenient with calls for certain "big" games. I like that it got a little rough, hockey is a rough game played by sandy guys who fight.

A fine line to walk between chaos and rough play.

Figure skating is on a different channel.

Great post and the league shaping of games, one at a time, is not discussed enough. It has to be the league, because of the 2 officials factor. They have to be on the same page, otherwise they would be arguing mid game.

Clearly a concentrated effort was made to let the players play last night. It's what they do in the playoffs, if even just a little more so.

PPGs are a bit part of the modern game entertainment factor. Only, teams only convert on less than 20% of the time. A team with a listless PP, the game is even more boring if they stop it to display their futility time and time again.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Alan May seems like he'd make a terrific assistant coach. Pasionate, articulate, very intelligent. I bet his players would run through a wall for him.

 

[strungout]

May is perfect at what he does now.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Alan May seems like he'd make a terrific assistant coach. Pasionate, articulate, very intelligent. I bet his players would run through a wall for him.

Said it before, give him a radio show on one of the local sports stations. That they find something to discuss about the Redskins for significant time each day on those stations, I can only

 

[marcel snapshot]

Penguins have really assembled quite a cast of weasels: Lapierre, Downie, Kunitz and I put Letang in that list as well - he may be a skilled guy, but he's fond of dirty stick work but will, like the guys mentioned above, invariably back down when challenged. And Malkin is good for the occasional slew foot at times as well.

Extraordinary the degree to which the Pens lost their composure. Where was Sid? Leadership there required someone getting the Pens to calm the **** down and play hockey - but they spent the 3rd period ratcheting up cheap shots and goalie-running. You would think the Philly series from 2 seasons ago would have permanently etched in the lesson that they can't try to match opponents physicality - and that they tend to unravel when they do.

Really wonder about the chemistry on the Pens - and the degree to which Crosby and Malkin are bonded to the rest of that team.

Just a riveting game last night.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

I can't wait to see the irreparable harm that Rutherford inflicts on that franchise over the summer. What an idiotic hire.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

The Pens assembled a team that gets dirty and can't back it up. It's lovely.

 

[amjay13]

Another major benefit of signing Niks and Orpik during the off-season is the Caps will not have to give up major assets for an upgrade on defense at the trade deadline.

 

[trick9]

I hope the game against the Jets isn't similar to this. Penguins are boys comparing to Caps and Jets who i think are both among 5 of the biggest teams in the NHL.

Good road win.

 

[RandyHolt]

Caps got 5 power plays and scored on 2 of them, including a 5 on 3 which was the difference in the game. The Pens and their fans think the game was handed to us by the refs, though they got 3 power plays.

I wouldn't say this game was underofficiated, just officiated poorly and inconsistently.

The hook on Ovi, and then the subsequent slash on Letang, was an early sign the game was going to be under officiated.

Refs adjust. If the game gets out of hand, the penalties and PP follow. Dual calls, 4 on 4 appears. Calm restored.

I like this approach. Let the players decide the way the game is going to be called and played. If both teams want to bend rules, go ahead. If only one team does, the parade to the penalty box starts.

Why not, let the players the fans are paying to see, be themselves, do their thing. Be it Ovi Downie or Wilson. The league is dying to get the excitement back into the game, which is exactly what they did last night to start the game by letting players play the way they want to.

They can't do much more to increase scoring now, which is their only real excitement method they endorse.

Don't make every player gun shy to throw a simple hit because of a lame duck call on the first hit of the game. Now, Pitt fans are itching for a rematch. The stage is set for a potential 7 game kick ass series.

 

[stanleycaps18]

With tripe like this, no wonder the Pens fans are entitled:

http://dkonpittsburghsports.com/2015/02/18/column-bigger-issue-idiot-run-league/

 

[Calicaps]

I can't wait to see the irreparable harm that Rutherford inflicts on that franchise over the summer. What an idiotic hire.

This. Should be fun to watch.

 

[Maruk moustache]

You guys are lucky, I had to listen to the Pens announcers the whole ****in game because I'm currently visiting family in Pennsylvania

According to them, you should simply dive to get the calls you need. They actually promoted embellishment

I just wanted to say that I too saw the Pittsburgh feed here in Austin. During the 5-on-3 is when this happened. One of the Pittsburgh broadcasters said words to the effect that here is where you want to take a dive if anyone on the other team even touches you.

Not sure what to think about that. I guess I understand the embellishment when there is actually a penalty and the purpose is to draw the ref's attention to it or force the ref's hand. I think what the broadcasters were advocating was something closer to an outright dive though--an attempt to trick the ref into believing there's a penalty where there isn't--and that is the kind of thing I think just about everyone objects to.

I doubt it's ever a good time to actually outright dive. I think the refs remember that stuff. No one likes to be fooled. I don't think, even from a purely strategic Pittsburgh-centric point of view, that I would agree with them. You might go ahead and embellish if there is any illegal conduct in that situation, sure, but I don't think that's what they were talking about.

 

[Plural]

With tripe like this, no wonder the Pens fans are entitled:

http://dkonpittsburghsports.com/2015/02/18/column-bigger-issue-idiot-run-league/

First half was a load of crap. Well, sadly this is the state of journalism this day. Overreactions and gross twisting of reality

 

[txpd]

yes, the league game plans the games with the referees. they are told to watch for certain things and told to watch certain players for certain things. thus the reputation penalty.

rh, I am with you. the old days when the each team got 3 pp's and after that anything goes. I used to think it was hilarious that you could straight up tackle a guy in the last 10 minutes of a game. let the players decide the game. if they cant fight thru a tackle they deserve to lose.

 

[Maruk moustache]

First half was a load of crap. Well, sadly this is the state of journalism this day. Overreactions and gross twisting of reality

That article was silly. It really wasn't a vicious chop. It was an attempt to chop the puck away and Letang was almost doing the splits and skating all weird and his leg got in the way. Call it a negligent or even a reckless chop on the back of the leg, and let's scold Ovechkin and tell him to be a nicer boy and be more careful with his stick, but calling it "vicious" is just dumb. Ovechkin can be pretty vicious as a general matter, but generally that is when he is delivering a legal check, or fending one off.

I don't know why some Pittsburgh fans want to cry so much. I don't know why results are all that matter to people vs. intent. I understand crying at the game--it all happened very fast and you see your guy crashing into the boards like that and especially with a couple beers you might get a little emotional. After the game, once you've had time to reflect on what actually occurred, really, it was obviously not vicious, and everyone on Pittsburgh's team is actually going to see that once they've looked at the replay, and they are going to feel really stupid for letting that derail them. Their overreaction to it looked to me to be the primary reason they lost in regulation last night. Before all that hubbub it looked like a game heading to OT to me.